Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse.......it does! The usual garbage I see at the summer festivals disguised as entertainment. The nursing home acts were bad enough....now it's spread.

I've been adapting to it up to now, but this one is hard to get over.

They were advertised with an impressive name that gave me the idea that they were a large class one act. Turns out to be 4 old guys that were probably good in their day, but now would have difficulty getting into the local barbershop quartet and are just picking up an extra paycheck of whatever they could get. Couldn't sing in unison......but here's what got me. The 5th guy was sitting in front of a Yamaha Motif looking (and sounding) like he wasn't even playing. And what do they have for the drummer? A rhythm machine about the size of an ash tray. They were carrying more clothing than equipment.

So, I turned around and said to the two ladies behind me: "What do you think of the music?" Answer: "Great......wonderful." And these ladies grew up in the 50's!

The bar has been lowered so much, at this point I don't think anyone is going to remember actual music and actual bands that PLAYED music. And I don't think we've even reached the bottom of the barrel yet! It seems to be all about who works the cheapest now.

So.....how would some of you view it? Throw in the towel and dumb yourself down musically and join the crowd? Live and let live? Turn the other cheek (or ear)? Quit playing?

I'm inclined to take my TOTL synthesizer and work on it until the cows come home, and.......make good music and see if the audience will still buy into it.

On the other hand, I'm seriously thinking, for the first time in my life, of giving up music completely...use the energy for another line of work. It's all gone now....the respect you got as a professional musician, the enjoyment of playing great songs and working your emotions out in the music, that wonderful feeling of affecting others with your music, dressing up to the nines, the big pay check, the endless supply and variety of corporate jobs, etc.

Or..........are my over-reacting? .......seeing the wrong acts? ...wrong demographic area?

Mark